Target to Revamp Home Textiles Area

August 19, 2011, HFN Staff

Kathryn Tesija

NEW YORK-Target has set plans to change the look of its stores' home textiles department, creating a presentation more focused on components rather than ensembles, according to Kathryn Tesija, the retailer's executive vice president of merchandising.

Speaking on a special conference call to financial analysts conducted by Target's top executives here yesterday, Tesija said the new textiles layout "will provide our guests, who today are focused more on replacement purchases of individual items, the ability to see our entire assortment without searching across multiple aisles. This presentation is easier to shop and also more efficient, allowing us to present more items in the same amount of space. And we can use our focal endcaps to showcase ensembles for our guests who want to be inspired by how they can pull all of the parts together."

The transition to the department's new look will take place next month, Tesija said.

She added that in home, Target will bolster its Target Home brand along the lines of its relaunch of the Room Essentials brand, which will clarify the Target Home brand's attributes, add more fashion content and push farther ahead on the trend curve. In addition, the Missoni for Target collection--which includes bedding, luggage, dinnerware, stationery, bicycles and outdoor furniture along with women's, men's, girls' and babies' apparel and accessories--has been slated for debut in September.

The next few weeks will also bring the unveiling of the new target.com website. Tesija said the new site "will be more visually appealing and customized to match each guest profile. It will also provide more detail in expert product reviews, while incorporating capability for user-generated video and photo content along with social features." A more streamlined checkout process will also be on the new site, she said.

During the call, Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and CEO said Target's goal is $100 billion or more in sales by 2017. Among the drivers in achieving this benchmark will be the new website, Target's new CityTarget formats slated to launch next year, the retailer's expansion into Canada by early 2013 and continued growth in sales from its mobile platform.